Fawcett comments on the WESC’s report, ‘Women in the House of Commons after the 2020 election’

10 JANUARY 2017

Today, the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee published a report on ‘Women in the House of Commons after the 2020 election’.

Drawing on research by the Fawcett Society, the report argues that:

Political parties need to do much more to promote a fairer and greater proportion of women parliamentary candidates, and be transparent about their plans and their performance. The report recommends that parties should set out what they intend to do to increase the proportion of women in the House in 2020, including adopting ambitious targets for women candidates in ‘winnable’ seats.

The Government has committed to achieving women’s full and equal participation under the Sustainable Development Goals. It has a role in setting and delivering national targets to achieve this, and in introducing and enforcing statutory measures to help Parliament and the public scrutinise the progress of political parties and hold them accountable for selecting diverse parliamentary candidates. The Government should be prepared to mandate change if parties do not meet the challenge voluntarily.

Parliament as an institution should actively encourage women to participate in democracy and continue to investigate ways of making the working environment of Westminster one that does not present unnecessary actual or perceived barriers to women’s participation.

Boundary Commission proposalsThe backdrop to the inquiry is the recently published Boundary Commission proposals for equalising the size of constituencies, which will reduce the number of MPs from 650 to 600. While the boundary review itself need not result in a lower proportion of women MPs, the Committee believes that without intervention from the parties, regression may be an unintended consequence.

In response to the WESC’s inquiry into women in the House of Commons, Fawcett Society Chief Executive, Sam Smethers, said:

“The Committee’s report shows very clearly that progress is not inevitable. In fact, unless all political parties take action women’s representation in the Commons will go in to reverse in 2020.”

“As we approach the centenary of the first votes for women and the first woman to take her seat in the House of Commons, we face the prospect of women’s representation going backwards from what is already a low base of just 30%. That is a terrible indictment on the state of our politics.

“Fawcett research has found that seats held by women are disproportionately affected by the boundary review and Labour women MPs are particularly vulnerable both as a result of boundary changes but also if Labour loses a large number of seats at the next election. All political parties therefore need to raise their game.

“We have written to party leaders urging them to take steps to address this as it is their responsibility to ensure that their party prioritises women’s representation.”

To read the WESC report, ‘Women in the House of Commons after the 2020 election’, click here.

READ MORE

Fawcett has campaigned extensively on increasing representation in both local and national government. You can read the Fawcett Society’s research into women’s representation in parliament and the potential impact of the Boundary Review, by clicking the link below.

22 MAY 2019: Following a petition with 90,000 signatures and rising, the organisation has published an open letter with signatories to the Prime Minister which urges her to act to end the abuse of women in politics and public life.

20 MAY 2019: The Pregnancy and Maternity (Protection from Redundancy) Bill is backed by women’s organisations Maternity Action and the Fawcett Society, and is similar to the legal model used in Germany.

2 MAY 2019: If the pace of change over the last two elections is maintained, it will take over 32 years and eight election cycles for women to achieve equality in local councils, according to new research by Fawcett and Democracy Club.

30 APRIL 2019: The new findings come as Fawcett launches an expert Commission on Gender Stereotypes in Early Childhood, headed up by Director of the UCL Institute of Education, Professor Becky Francis and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Fatherhood, Rt Hon David Lammy MP.

4 APRIL 2019: It is disappointing, but not surprising, that there are so many employers in the UK with large pay gaps and that these pay gaps aren't being closed. The regulations are not tough enough. It's time for action plans not excuses.

Most read

The Fawcett Society is the UK’s leading membership charity campaigning for gender equality and women’s rights. If you believe in a society where no one is prevented from reaching their full potential because of their gender, join us today.

Millicent Fawcett began campaigning for women’s equality in 1866, and was instrumental in achieving first votes for women in 1918. At The Fawcett Society, we’ve continued her legacy of fighting sexism through impactful research and hard-hitting campaigns for over 150 years.

We’re delighted to have a growing number of active and effective local women’s rights meet ups, who work in the local community to enforce change and campaign on our behalf. Their work is invaluable to Fawcett.

Inspire others: Volunteer with Future Fawcett

2018 marks 100 years since women first secured the right to vote, and we're marking it by launching Future Fawcett, an education outreach programme to inspire young people through our suffrage history, and teach them about women's rights today.

We need volunteers to make it happen. Are you ready to inspire the next generation of feminists?

Don't let the clock turn back on women's rights. Donate today.

We've been fighting for over 150 years to win hard-earned rights for women living in Britain. With Brexit on the horizon, it's more important than ever that we stand together to defend them. Will you stand with us, and help end gender inequality for good?